1. The Field of the Invention
The invention relates to safety barriers, such as for children or pets, which can be removably secured in apertures in buildings, e.g., in doorways, staircases and windows.
2. The Prior Art
To adapt safety barriers to fit specific apertures, it is known to equip such gates with threaded rods or similar devices in the corner, see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,732. Using lock nuts, these threaded rods can then be adjusted so the safety barrier can be fitted and secured in the aperture in question. Threaded rods make it possible to vary the width of the gate within a limited interval. However, for security reasons the distance between the surroundings of the aperture such as a doorframe and the safety barrier must not be too large, i.e., such that a child can squeeze its head through the passage. Moreover, a long unsupported threaded rod is not sufficiently rigid. This means that several standard gate widths are needed. One of the disadvantages of adjusting safety barriers using threaded rods is that the amount of adjustment possible is very limited.
To obtain a larger adjustment, extension sections of different widths are used. The extension sections have studs which fit into the holes used for the threaded rods. The threaded rods are then mounted at the end of the extension section facing the wall or frame. The benefit is that a standard barrier can be used. This however requires stocking of extension sections of different widths. Placing such extension sections in continuation of each other renders the barrier unstable, since the addition of each new extension section results in an additional junction point, making the barrier increasingly unstable.
A different type of barrier is known which includes two parts displaced in relation to each other. The two parts are each longer than half the width of the passage and are assembled with overlying ends. Further, such barriers do not have their own frame, and are designed for attachment to a door frame or wall using screws or similar attachment systems.
The object of the invention is to provide a safety barrier that can be adjusted in width within a large interval but with a minimum of junction points. At the same time, the safety barrier must retain the necessary rigidity and resistance to impact in sideways (lateral) directions.
The object of the invention is achieved by providing that the extension section is formed of at least one unit having at its top and bottom a longitudinal aperture or channel to accommodate top and bottom assembly devices that respectively extend all the way through each of the units.
By means of the units, various lengths of extension section, or widths of the provided safety barrier, can be achieved using assembly devices of a corresponding length. As the assembly devices extend all the way through the units, the extension section becomes very rigid. Making the units identical reduces the need for stockpiling of parts even further, but they could also be different to achieve a special appearance of the barrier.
In one embodiment the length of the assembly devices may be less than the width of the number of extension units in question. The result is that the extension units are jammed between the securing means and the barrier itself. In other words, the securing means sits tight against the outermost extension unit so that the extension units are fixed in position and cannot be moved.
In a further embodiment the length of the assembly devices are longer than the width of the number of extension units in question. This ensures that the axial force on the top and bottom elements, when the barrier is secured in the aperture, is transmitted directly to the assembly devices. This is the best mode of ensuring correct attachment.
The safety barrier with extension sections can be fitted with a control pin on one closing surface by the gate locking mechanism, with a hole designed to accommodate this control pin on the opposite closing surface. This control pin helps to increase the rigidity and resistance of the gate to impact at right angles.
The assembly devices can be designed to ensure that standard securing devices to secure the barrier fit therein. Designing the assembly devices in this way means that the standard fitting that normally belongs to the barrier in question can also be used if extension sections need to be mounted on the barrier.